Syllabus

Spring 2011 – Art 100c – Fundamentals of Art
Section 001 – Class no. 20316 – FA-311 – MW 9:30 – 10:50
Section 002 – Class no. 20317 – FA-311 – MW 11:00 – 12:20
Instructor: Glenn Zucman

Course Blog: http://cypress-art100.blogspot.com
Email: gzucman@cypresscollege.edu
Please only use email for personal matters you do not want shared with the class. For all other questions please use blog comments so that everyone may share the information.
Office Hours: 12:30, location TBA

Introduction

This introductory course investigates the visual elements and principles of design through lectures, reading, and hands-on experience. It also examines, in the same manner, historical styles and themes in art as well as materials and techniques.

Instructional Objectives

Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:
A. Define basic art terms and processes.
B. Identify major historical styles of art, artists, and artworks.
C. Analyze an artwork in terms of form and content.
D. Demonstrate, in writing and in art projects, the workings of basic art materials and processes: drawing, printmaking, sculpture, and painting.
E. Explain historical or thematic connections between the major art forms and styles.
F. Understand the visual cultures of both Western and world art.
G. Connect issues discussed in art to greater cultural themes.
H. Critically examine the visual world outside of the classroom.

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:
1. Given major artworks from Western and Non-Western cultures students will successfully identify the artist, title, and style by evaluating their major visual
2. Given an artwork students will examine its form to establish its content.
3. Given a work of art students will successfully identify major elements of artistic methodology and will effectively articulate the impact of these aspects on the content of the artwork.
4. After analyzing art materials, issues of formalism, and a survey of art history students we will be able to critically analyze the importance of visual images to human history and the modern world.

Pre-Requisites

None.

Textbooks

There is no paper textbook for you to buy this semester, instead we will be writing our own textbook. Each student will write their own art blog covering many art topics.
For lectures, instead of Powerpoint, I use “FreeMind.” Info on how to download a free copy is here:
http://artboy.info/2011/01/freemind/

Readings

Our “reading” is the “textbook” we write together. Each week we’ll read and post comments on each other’s blogs. We’ll use our blogs to discuss art ideas and push our conversation forward.

Schedule

We’ll break the course into four 4-week modules centered around 4 aspects of art:
• Painting
• Identity
• New Media
• Alternative Media

The first 2 weeks of each module will be in lecture / lab format. The second 2 weeks of each module will be the “midterm” for that module. In the “midterm” we will break the class up into 4 groups and you will be scheduled to come in 1 of the 4 days. In these small discussion groups of about 8 students, we will be able to spend more focused time on each person’s blog and talk about your work.
http://artboy.info/schedule

Projects

You will post something online every single day of the semester. At least twice a week, for our two classes, you’ll write a blog post: discussing the lecture, researching your artist, describing your project, etc. The other five days, you’ll read another class member’s blog and post a comment discussing their writing.
For each of the four modules we will have:
• An art activity
• A museum trip
• An artist to research
• A lot of blogging and commenting!

Special Schedule Notes

This semester we have two, hopefully fun activities, that may require some special advanced schedule planning from you:
• For Module I, the Activity is to try Graffiti Writing at the Venice Beach Legal Art Walls. The walls are open only Saturday and Sunday from 10am to half-hour before Sunset.
• For Module IV, the “Museum” is Farmlab which you must visit on a Friday at Noon.

Your Blog

There are lots of free blogging services, some of them are good for us, some are not so good:
Blogs you should use (not all of them, just pick any one of them!
http://wordpress.com/
http://www.blogger.com/
http://www.typepad.com/
https://posterous.com/

Blogs you should not use
• Tumblr – problematic for commenting
• Livejournal – makes us watch commercials before we can see your blog
We will try to be as green with this course as possible. I’ll never hand you any paper; you’ll never hand me any paper. Everything we do, we’ll do through our blogs. If you do an art project or visit a museum, you’ll “turn it in” with a blog post. For the museums a photo of you at the museum and an analysis of what you saw in your visit. For projects, a photo of your creation and a write up of your experience.

To score well in this course your blog must contain consistent exploration, discovery, and analysis of art and art ideas. It must be a running dialog with your classmates. I also want it to be YOURblog! Blogging is an excellent way to develop your thinking. Please make your blog yours! In addition to the required posts, post anything you want. Any time you want. A one-sentence emotion. A long midnight philosophy theory. Be sure to do the course work. But also be sure to make it yours!

Computer Access

Many of you have a laptop or a desktop at home. There are also computers on campus:
http://www.cypresscollege.edu/academics/academicPrograms/LibraryLearningResourceCenter/
http://www.cypresscollege.edu/academics/instructionalSupport/ComputerLabs.aspx
http://www.cypresscollege.edu/studentLife/studentActivities

Writing About Artists

We’ll discuss more about this in class, but Rule #1, NO BIOGRAPHY. Please DO NOT go to Wikipedia/Google and copy a long, boring story about their childhood, we want to know ABOUT THE ART! How does it function in our culture? What’s going with this work? Why does anyone care about it?

Due Dates

The “due date” is every single day of the semester. Seven days a week. Please immediately get in the habit of writing your own post or reading and commenting on someone else’s every day.

Grades

Each of the four midterm evaluations will be worth between 0 and 25 points for a total semester possible of 100 points. Out of the possible 100 points, the following numbers will earn the following grades:
A – 90 points and above
B – 80 points and above
C – 70 points and above
D – 60 points and above
F – 59 points and below

Attendance

• Required
• Attendance will be taken by the blog. If you do not post your work regularly, starting in Week 1, I will drop you.
Food & Beverage Policy
We share our room with many other classes. It is imperative that we leave the room cleaner than we found it. Do not “just leave” without looking around, picking up trash, and wiping off surfaces. If you like, we can have pot luck brunches at the midterms.

Make-up Policy

Since new lecture material and projects are presented every week, it will be difficult to make up lost material. Only enroll in this course if you are able to attend regularly. Make friends in the course who you can share information with if you must miss a class.

Drop Deadlines

30 Jan ’11 – Deadline to drop with refund
6 Feb ’11 – Deadline to drop without “W”
1 May ’11 – Deadline to drop with “W”

College Catalog

www.cypresscollege.edu/academics/CollegeCatalog.aspx

Academic Honesty Policy

See catalog pg. 9

Student Support Services

See catalog pg. 29

Disabled Students Program & Services (DSPS)

See catalog pg. 31

Sexual Harrassment / Discrimination Policy

See catalog pg. 37

Campus Safety

Phone: 714-484-7387
Location: CCC-3 — just north of the baseball field off of Holder Street

Emergency Procedures

If we’re required to evacuate our classroom or the building, proceed to a clear and safe area away from the building. Take all personal belongings with you.

Health Center

Phone: 714-484-7361

Library & Learning Resources Center

Phone: 714-484-7125